


Vacation

by sonofapollo



Category: Fall Out Boy
Genre: M/M, Merpeople, Multi, merman patrick, merpeople patrick, there's not enough merman!aus in this damn fandom, this isn't that good lol it's shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-10 21:48:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7009450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonofapollo/pseuds/sonofapollo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Patrick has been able to keep this a secret for his entire life now, and it's definitely not going to be ruined because of one stupid vacation.</p><p>But, of course, life has other plans for him, and before he knows it, Pete's drowning and he's diving down to save him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vacation

**Author's Note:**

> okay i wrote this at like 4am and i was practically dead at that time so please excuse any errors or how shitty this is
> 
> this was based on a pic i saw on tumblr, so here's the link: http://theragnarokd.tumblr.com/post/121695433143/radicalrumps-so-i-colored-the-great-ivatimsees

After a long while, the bickering had finally stopped. Andy had to raise his voice for everyone to quiet down, and by everyone I mean only three people, but their voices were so loud that you would think there were more people. Pete, Patrick, and Joe all quickly became quiet. They didn't like seeing Andy angry. He was a peaceful guy, but once you got him ticked off...well, you don't really want to know what happens. It's pretty ugly.

Andy lets out a sigh of relief. "Finally. Thank you," he says. "Now that you've all shut up, let's discuss this—"

"But we were discussing the topic at hand," Joe cut Andy off, oblivious. Pete and Patrick looked at him as if he were crazy.

"No, we weren't. If anything, we were yelling and arguing like damn children about it, and I think that it's right enough for me to say that your kids is far more mature than all of you," Andy snarked, clasping his hands together. Everyone looked at him with wide eyes, making him sigh. "I'm sorry, I'm just really stressed out and hearing you guys bicker just—" he sighed again. "Y-yeah, we know. We know," Patrick said, nodding in understanding. "Thank you."

"Alright, so, let's see...We have a few options for our break: hotel, beach house—" Andy stopped midway to think of any other options that they had, but shrugged seeing that they had no others. "And yeah, that's it. Hotel or beach house."

"I choose beach house, I haven't been to the beach in a hella long time," Pete said, reclining on the sofa, nodding his head slowly with a smile on his face. Patrick wondered how he was so laid back...it almost worried him. It worried him a bit more than his choice on where to spend their break. "I choose beach house, as well. I love the sea and the beach," Joe said with a smile. Patrick's breath hitched in his throat, making him swallow hard. He had his hopes up that Andy would choose hotel instead of beach house. He had to avoid the beach for as long as he possibly could.

"Well then, I choose beach house, too," Andy agreed. Patrick's eyes went wide, but he tried to act normal and as if nothing was wrong—sad thing is, everything was wrong. He knows he's being a tad bit dramatic with that, but he didn't want to go to the beach, and knowing his friends/band mates...this was going to be really hard for Patrick. "How about you, Patrick?" Pete asked. "Even though...Yeah." He chuckled, picking at the holes in his ripped jeans. Patrick let out a deep sigh. He knew it was three against one, so he really had no say in the matter nor choice. So, he just agreed with everyone else filled with utter dread. "Y-Yeah...Beach house, as well, yeah," he muttered, earning some worried looks from his friends. Pete raised his eyebrow at him, but decided to leave it be. Maybe it was just that Patrick was feeling a bit under the weather. He'd talk to him later.

"Alright, well, now that's settled...Where will it be?" Andy asked, running a hand over his beard. Patrick always wondered why it was a different color from his hair..."How about Cali?" Pete suggested, making Joe groan. "How about no? We're taking a break hear and anywhere we go in California, we'll be recognized off the spot. Let's go somewhere more peaceful, where we won't get bothered." Patrick wanted to say: "How about we go nowhere?" but he refrained from doing so. He's managed to keep his secret for a really long time—almost twenty-eight years now, and counting—so he didn't want to mess it up because of a nervous breakdown. As Pete, Joe, and Andy began to discuss places to go, Patrick ran a hand through his hair and let out a small sigh. It’s not that he hated the beach, and his secret wasn’t that he couldn’t swim, because he loved the beach and he was a great swimmer, he just has a certain condition that doesn’t let him enjoy any of these two among people who don’t know his secret. Only his ex-wife and parents knew, of course, and soon, his son will too.

Patrick has always pondered on the thought of telling his band mates, but always chickened out when he was going to do it. I mean, it’s not easy going up to your closest friends and telling them that you’re not really, nor entirely, human and face the ultimate rejection from those you trust the most. Patrick was surprised when Elisa believed him, though he wasn’t complaining, he was more than relieved. Even so, he didn’t know how the rest of the band would react, because Elisa is a completely different person from them, and he doesn’t know them as well as he wants to think he does. The feeling is mutual, though.

After a while of much arguing and researching, they all finally agreed to go to a small city in Mexico. Everyone except Patrick was thrilled about the idea, and it worried Pete a bit. He saw easily through Patrick and his feigned excitement. He knows that Patrick is hiding something, but he would never force the younger male to tell him what it is. Pete respected Patrick greatly, and he didn’t want to ruin their close friendship because of his stupid curiosity. He glances at Patrick, who was biting on his thumb nail—an obvious nervous habit of his—and sighs. He truly hopes he’s okay.

✧

Patrick hoped it was just a dreaded nightmare, but no, it was the inevitable reality. He sighed as he sat down at the docks close to the beach house, watching his friends enjoying themselves. Joe was still sleeping in, despite it being three in the afternoon, so Andy and Pete decided to go jet-skiing and drag Patrick along. He’d refused to go at first, but Pete pulled the ‘puppy eyes’ on him and he just couldn’t resist. So, that brings us to present time Patrick, sitting on a dock, his legs dangling off the edge.

A small smile makes its way onto his face as he looks down at the calming, blue water. He’s missed the beach, it’s been ten years since he’d been to one, but it’s been twenty since he’s actually gotten into the waters of one. He’s itching to get in, literally. His body, especially his legs, begged for the water. It was kind of odd way to describe it, but it was the best way to do so. Since his mother’s death, and his detachment of the sea, his body yearned to shift, but Patrick couldn’t allow himself to do so. Frowning, he pulls his legs up and hugs them close to his chest, trying hard not to scratch them. He rests his chin in between his knees and watches Andy and Pete for a while longer, before standing up and heading back to the beach house. He needed a bath.

When Pete and Andy came back, Joe and Patrick were already eating dinner. “Aw, man! That’s not fair, you guys started without us when we told you to wait up,” Pete whined, while drying off his hair. Joe laughed, and Patrick rolled his eyes. Andy served himself some of the food cooked by them, and sat down at the table to eat with them. Pete did the same a while later after he was completely dried off, which Patrick was really thankful for since he was sitting next to him. They spent the rest of the afternoon joking around and telling stories. Pete smiled at Patrick when he noticed how much he was starting to loosen up. He’d seen Patrick’s face before he left, and he looked pretty sick, but now it seemed that everything was okay. Though, that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to ask him about it later to reassure himself.

Night rolled around pretty quickly, and once everyone was settled in bed, Pete walked over to Patrick’s room, and knocked on the wooden door. Patrick sighed standing up from his bed and walked over to the door, opening it. He smiled slightly when he saw Pete standing there. “Oh, hey, Pete. I thought you were asleep,” Patrick whispered. Pete smiled and shook his head. “Nah, couldn’t sleep. Plus, I wanted to ask you something once the other two went to sleep.” Patrick furrowed his eyebrows, nodded, and stepped aside, letting Pete into his room. He closed the door behind once he walked in. “What did you want to ask?”

“You seemed pretty down at the docks earlier, and I was wondering what was wrong…” Pete said, looking down at his feet then back at Patrick. Patrick’s breathe hitched in his throat. “I, uh, well—“

“You don’t have to tell me, I’m not obligating you to,” Pete quickly said, cutting him off. “I just want you to know that I’m your best friend and I’m always here for you, no matter what, okay? I’ll always be here for you, even after this band breaks up, which I hope doesn’t happen soon,” Pete chuckled. “What I’m trying to say is that, I don’t want you to feel down or anything during our small vacation, and that if anything is wrong, I’ll always be there,” he finished with a wide smile. Patrick’s eyes widened with shock at Pete’s words. He almost felt as if he could tell him the truth about everything; tell him about him, about his huge burden. But he decides not to. He decides that it’s not time yet, and that he would tell Pete later on.  

Pete takes Patrick’s hand suddenly, and squeezes it slightly as a sign of reassurance. A blush makes its way onto Patrick’s cheeks as he smiles bashfully up at Pete. “Thanks, Pete,” he says. “But I don’t think I should tell you now. I will tell you someday, but just not today.” Pete nods in understanding. “Yeah, sure, of course. I understand. Tell me whenever you’re ready. I just want you to be okay…” Patrick nods and wraps his arms around the taller male who hugs him back tightly.  

Patrick loves moments like these with Pete. It makes him feel as if he belongs, and as if he can truly fit in. He knows that he feels something entirely different from what he felt at the start with Pete. He knows and it is clear to him that he loves Pete, and not in the way friends would love each other. But of course, it will all stay a one-sided love, because Pete loved someone else and he was very happy with that person, Patrick understood that. “Is it weird if I ask you to cuddle with me?” Pete mutters, making the smaller male chuckle and shake his head. “No, not at all.”

“Great!” Pete exclaims, pulling away quickly and picking Patrick up bridal style and carrying him to the bed. Patrick laughed, and that was all Pete wanted. He wanted Patrick to be happy and joyful. He knew he’s had a rough past, so all he wants is for the other male to be happy instead of sad. He smiles widely as he places him down on the bed, and climbs in beside him, wrapping his strong arms around his small build. “Goodnight, Trick,” he says, nuzzling his face in the other’s hair. Patrick smiles widely, closing his eyes. “Goodnight, Pete.”

✧

They were going scuba diving. Which involves getting into the water. Of all the things hat Patrick was willing to do, this was not one of them. So, he planned on staying at the docks again, just to watch, but of course, questions began to arise.

"Why don't you want to come with us?" Joe asked, worry laced in his voice. He had a small frown on his face that made Patrick's heart sink. "I'm sorry, but I'm just not feeling well," Patrick lies. Andy's about to say something to retort that, but Pete beats him to it. "It's okay, if he says he doesn't feel well, he doesn't. But make sure to join us later, alright?" He smiles down at Patrick who smiles back and nods. "Yeah, I promise to join you guys once I feel better," he agrees. Joe and Andy sigh, nodding. "Alright. I hope so," Andy says before getting into the water with water and begin to swim away.

"Thanks," Patrick says, turning to Pete, who nods with a smile. "Yeah, of course. I hope you feel better soon." And with that, he gets into the water and swims over to the other two. Patrick sighs deeply and sits down on the dock, pulling his itchy legs up to his chest. He rests his chin in between his knees like yesterday and looks out into the ocean, watching his friends. He really wishes he were normal sometimes, to enjoy these moments with the people he cares for and loves the most. At the moment, he feels as if he were sixteen again, hugging his tail close to his chest and crying over his mother's death.

He remembers that day still, when his father walked into his room, eyes red and blotchy, and his cheeks tear stained. He asked him what happened, what's wrong, but his father only said: "We need to talk." Those words made Patrick swallow hard as he stood up and followed his dad to the living. He sat down beside him on the red sofa. His dad took a deep breath and began speaking. Patrick remembers him saying the words: "Your mother...was found dead." After that, Patrick had refused to listen any longer. He'd stood up and ran out of the house. His father didn't even come after him, because he knew well where his son was headed.

With tears streaming down his face, Patrick ran to the beach, which was pretty close. Once he got there, he kicked off his shoes quickly and ran into the water. He swam to his and his mother's secret spot; a hidden cave with a small pool that was part of the coast and the beach but so far away, that barely any humans ventured it. And there he stayed the entire night, crying.

Patrick shudders at the memory and closes his eyes. His legs hurt, a lot, but he's not going to do anything about it. He's going to let them hurt, itch, or whatever, but he was not getting into the water ever again, until Declan is of age and he has to do it. Taking a deep breath, Patrick decides to ignore the pain and take a nap.

✧

When Patrick wakes up, Andy and Joe are heading over to him. He smiles, standing up to make sure they don't get him wet, and crosses his arms over his chest. Standing up brings him more pain than he thought it could, but he tries not to show it. "Hey, where's Pete?"

"Oh, he's over there," Joe points to where Pete is, which very far away from them, but Patrick can see the bleach-blonde hair. "He wanted to stay for a bit longer." The two men get up onto the dock, making Patrick step away to avoid getting wet. "We're gonna go get something to eat, wanna come with?" Joe asks, smiling. Patrick shakes his head and waves him off. "Nah, I'm fine. I'll stay here and wait for Pete."

"Alright then, suit yourself," Andy says before taking Joe's hand and walking away with him. Patrick chuckled, watching them go. Sometimes I wonder if they're secretly dating, he thought before turning back to look out at the ocean.

He sees Pete flailing his arms, and for a moment he thinks that he waving at him, until it hits him. He's drowning. Patrick's eyes widen and he looks around him quickly, trying to see if anyone was around to help, but seeing that there was no one, it seems that he's left with no choice. He needs to jump in.

Without any much thought, Patrick kicks off his shoes and takes off his shirt, and before he knows it, he's diving into the water. An immense wave of relief washes over him, as his legs bind together, forming his tail. His gills open at the contact with the salt water, letting him breath underwater. His dorsal fins make their appearance along with some small, dark spots on his upper body.

He swims over to Pete as quickly as he possibly can. When he gets over to the spot where he was, he sees him sinking. Patrick's eyes widen and he swims down, trying to reach for Pete. He extends his hand and grabs onto Pete's arm, pulling him up. He needs to take him to the shore, quick. But it's hard because Pete's heavier than Patrick imagined he'd be. He should've truly known better...

Patrick tries his best to make it to the shore, but he can't go there...He needs to go somewhere where he won't be seen. At all.

✧

Pete opened his eyes slowly and groaned, sitting up carefully. "Oh, thank God, you're awake," he heard someone say beside him. Coughing, he sits up slowly, looks in front of him, and sees Patrick, looking at him from where he stands in the small pool. Where were they? "What happened?" Pete croaked out. "You were drowning," Patrick said, sighing. "Oh my God...And you—?"

"Yes, I did."

"Oh...Well, thank you. I don't even remember drowning..."

"Wow...How did that happen, anyway?" Patrick asked, furrowing his eyebrows. Pete shrugged. "I don't know, really. I felt something touch my leg, and all of sudden, I'm being pulled down. The rest, I don't remember." Patrick frowned deeply, and nodded, looking down. "Are you okay?" Pete asked worriedly. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine." Patrick runs a hand through his hair, almost forgetting that he was still in the water.

"Where are we anyway?" Pete asks, looking around. He notices that they're in a somewaht-cave. There's a small waterfall behind him, and a huge opening at the side. "A cave, or so it seems. I couldn't find anywhere else to take you," Patrick answers a moment later, chuckling nervously. Fuck. Pete furrows his eyebrows and nods slowly, not questioning it.

"How long was I out?"

"Almost two hours."

"Holy shit," Pete muttered, his eyes widening. Patrick laughs at his reaction and nods. Pete chuckles and looks at him for a moment, noticing that something's slightly off about Patrick...He rubbed his eyes, and blinked. Patrick's eyes widened, and he swallowed hard.

Fuck, he knew he should've gotten out of the water and dried off. But it felt so good to be in the water, and he just wanted to swim for a small while, or just float here in this small pool until Pete woke up, or something. He hadn't shifted in almost three decades, and his body had been yearning for this during that entire time. He had to take his chances, y'know?

Pete's vision finally adjusted, and he could see Patrick clearly. The man's eyes widened, and his mouth went agape as he gasped loudly. He stood up quickly, almost stumbling and falling, and takes in the sight in front of him. _What the **literal fuck** is this?_ He asks himself, staring at his best friend with his mouth open and wide eyes. Patrick's long tail moves underneath him, a bit in discomfort, as he looks down at his hands, which are holding the rocky edge of the pool.

Pete's only ever heard of mermaids—er, mermen—in fairy tales and myths. But he'd never, not once in a million years, think that he'd be able to see one in real life. This is the type of content he's had to read about to his kids. He'd never thought they'd actually be real.

"Y-You're—" he stammers, trying to find the correct words to say, but that's kind of hard considering that he's just found out that his best friend is a _merman_. Patrick looks up at him with a bit of a hopeful look. He swallows hard and waits for Pete to let out what he needs to say. "You're a fish?" Pete ends up asking, getting on his knees to get a closer look at Patrick.

Somehow, all of Patrick's nervousness, anxiety, and fear leaves him when Pete asks this. He raises an eyebrow, crosses his arms over his chest and scoffs. "That's rude to all the fish in the sea." Pete's shock wears off, and his eyes widen and shine with some delight and he smiles widely, like a child on Christmas Day. "Wow...Holy shit—! My best friend's a merman!!" Pete exclaims. The shorter of the two rolls his eyes and chuckles at this. "Pete, we're thirty year olds...Calm down."

"Calm down?! Dude, how could I possibly calm down after seeing something like this?! This is amazing!" He shouts in excitement, making Patrick laugh. He's not afraid anymore. And he guesses he should have never been afraid. He feels comfortable with Pete, and he's glad. "Are there more like you?" Pete asks, looking into Patrick's eyes. "Y'know...Like, mer-people..."

"Yeah. Plenty. It's just extremely rare to see one. My mom was one, hence—" Patrick gestures to himself and to his tail. The other man nods slowly. "Ohh...Okay. Hey, why do you have so many spots on your body? You didn't have those before..." Patrick smiles and looks down at himself, staring at the familiar, yet strange, dark spots littering his upper body. "They mean I'm poisonous. It means I'm a poisonous merman," he says with a smile.

"That's so cool!" Pete exclaims, smiling widely. "But..."

"But what?"

"But it doesn't fit you quite well..."

"What do you mean?" Patrick raises an eyebrow at him.

"Well, you're a poisonous merman, yet you're so nice," Pete chuckles. A small blush rises to Patrick's cheeks as he shakes his head. "My mother used to say the same thing. She said I got it my grandfather, even the colors and everything, but I've never met the man before."

"Oh, I see...Makes sense."

"Mhm."

The two continued talking, until the sun began to set. Pete mostly asked questions about the whole ordeal, and Patrick answered them. Though, most of the questions Patrick didn't have answers to, since he's been burying this side of him away. But it feels good to talk about it; it feels good to be in the other side of the world where he belongs. And it feels even better when you don't have to keep it a secret anymore. He now knows he can trust Joe and Andy with this, and he's glad.

✧

When the two of them got back, Joe and Andy were beyond angry. They had spent the entire afternoon worrying about the two. Joe thought they'd died, which made Andy worry even more. Patrick and Pete apologized, feeling like scolded children at the moment. It wasn't long before all of them went to their rooms and went to sleep, except Pete.

Pete had asked Patrick if he could sleep with him when they were heading back to the beach house, saying that he didn't really like sleeping in a separate room. Patrick blushed furiously at the question, but agreed anyway. He knew nothing would happen between them, but hey, at least this was something.

So now, they both lay in Patrick's bed, with Pete having his arms wrapped around the shorter man, and the latter with his face buried in the other's chest. Pete, thinking that Patrick was already asleep, muttered, "I'm not with Meagan anymore..." Patrick's breath hitched in his throat as his eyes widened. Holy shit, he thought. "I've been starting to feel indifferent, and we would be fighting on and off, day and night. It wasn't healthy for us nor Saint. So we split. And she kept custody," Pete continued. "I think it was because I had feelings for someone else. I think I've always had." Patrick looked up at the older man with wide eyes. "What do you mean?" he muttered, making Pete smile down at him. "I mean, I like—or love, someone else. I guess I never _truly_ loved Ashley nor Meagan. It was always someone else."

"O-Oh..." Patrick frowned slightly, thinking that it must be some other girl, so he didn't dare to ask him who it was. But then...

"I think the person I was always truly in love with...was you, Patrick."

Patrick's eyes widened, and his heart began to beat faster. "W-What...?" he managed to let out, not believing what Pete had just said. "I love you, Trick."

"Holy shit."

Pete laughed and held the other man closer, leaning into him and resting his forehead against his. "It took a very long time for me to realize that," he muttered, leaning in closer. "I love you too..." Patrick whispered. "For so long I have...But I always thought that there was never going to be something between us."

"We sound like a couple of teenagers, don't we?"

"Yeah," Patrick chuckled. The two stared into each other's eyes, often glancing at each other's lips, until Pete couldn't handle it anymore and pressed his lips against Patrick's.

 _Finally_ , Patrick thinks. _It was about damn time_.

**THE END.**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
**not really lol**

_**A FEW YEARS LATER** _

Water splashed onto Pete as he sat on one of the rocks near the beach's shore. "Oh, c'mon!" he exclaimed, taking off his glasses and closing his now soaked book beside him. "Declan!" He looked at the giggling six year old boy, that sat on the shore, the water covering his lower half. Patrick swam up beside him, chuckling, and set himself beside his son. "That wasn't Declan, that was me," Patrick smiled. Pete pouted and rolled his eyes at his husband. "You messed up my book..."

"You can buy a new one."

"It's not the same," Pete sighed, making Patrick roll his eyes. "You big baby," Patrick chuckled. "You love me," the older man retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. Patrick smiled and nodded. "I do."

Beside Patrick, Declan cleared his throat and said, "Hello? I'm still here." Patrick and Pete laughed softly. The boy's father ruffled his hair and said, "We know, we know."

"You two should get out already. It's about to be nighttime, and you know the water gets freezing cold at night," Pete said, standing up and stretching his arms. "You're the only one who feels how cold the water really is. The water feels fine even during the winter." Declan nodded at his dad's words and looked up at Pete.

"Well, I think we all know why," Pete muttered, crossing his arms. "Yeah, yeah," Patrick chuckled, rolling his eyes. "We'll get out after the sunset—" Declan cheered beside him. "—Stay here for a while, until then." Pete sighed but obliged, sitting back down on the rock and staring out into the horizon.

Patrick did the same, as Declan kept on swimming near them. Patrick had never thought that Declan would have the same mer-features as his mom, but it turns out he did. Smiling to himself, he stares at the setting sun, happy.

Everything turned out alright in the end for him, and he couldn't be happier than he is right now with his husband. He'd never thought they'd actually end up together, until that night during their small vacation, away from everything.

Pete extends his hand down to take Patrick's, and does so. Patrick turns to him and smiles, holding his hand tightly in his. They're both happy, and that's all that matters. 

**Author's Note:**

> im so sorry i suck at conclusive endings and this is just horrible. i dont intend to delete or fix it though, im way too tired and unmotivated to do so. i just needed to write this merman au lol


End file.
